Select Board approves prioritization order for South Londonderry sewer connections

The Select Board voted to approve a prioritization recommended by the village wastewater committee for which properties to include in Phase 1 bidding for the South Londonderry Community Wastewater System. The adopted order of priorities is: Option 1, infill development (most cost-effective); Option 2, Middletown Road extension (including the town hall); Option 3, Main Street extension (to approximately 347 Main Street); and Option 4, Old School Street extension (deprioritized because that road was recently paved). The motion to approve the order was made by Committee member (speaker 2) and carried.

Presenter (speaker 1) told the board the committee ranked non-priority properties so staff can include as many properties as possible within the available budget and then add or subtract properties once bids are returned. The presenter said the state has "offered the town another $500,000 to install the food treatment" (state offer not yet in writing), which would increase treatment capacity from a baseline to about 12,960 gallons per day; staff and board members noted that final connection counts will depend on the bid results. "The state has offered the town another $500,000 to install the food treatment. That would allow us to increase the capacity to 12,960," the presenter said.

Board discussion focused on how far mainline extensions would go if funding is limited and whether stub-outs will be provided to properties that have not applied to connect. The presenter clarified the town will not stub out to properties that did not apply and will stop mainline construction at the last property included under available funding. The board approved the prioritization to guide the Phase 1 bid package and directed staff to use the ranking to maximize the number of connections within the project budget.